<P><FONT SIZE=2>Hello,<BR>
<BR>
By way of introduction, we (Kevin Albert and André Cotte) are working to<BR>
make open source software more readily available to school systems in<BR>
the province of Québec, Canada.<BR>
<BR>
We’d like to bring to your attention a project that we have been working<BR>
on for some time now – in fact the project is quite far advanced – and<BR>
in particular to point out one of the few remaining obstacles. We’re at<BR>
the stage where only the OCAL team will be able help us with this<BR>
problem.<BR>
<BR>
Basically the project would allow users to access the OCAL database<BR>
using the French language with the help of its API and the “Google<BR>
translate” service. (Our project could be adapted to other languages as<BR>
well.)<BR>
<BR>
We are aware that most of the OCAL keywords (tags) are in English, which<BR>
presents a problem for students in non-English language countries. We<BR>
are also aware that the OCAL site makes available a rich API, and so we<BR>
have come up with the following process for accessing OCAL clipart<BR>
images in French.<BR>
<BR>
The francophone student enters the keyword for the search he wishes to<BR>
carry out in the question box. Our program delivers this word to the<BR>
Google translation service, then submits the translation to OCAL. OCAL<BR>
delivers the result to us, which we transmit to the student. So far, so<BR>
good.<BR>
<BR>
The problem we are encountering in an educational context is not being<BR>
able to identify via the OCAL API images tagged NSFW. We know that this<BR>
criterion exists because images are tagged NSFW on the site – but the<BR>
API does not transmit this value. <BR>
<BR>
We have come up with two possible solutions.<BR>
<BR>
The first and most simple solution would be for the API to send us<BR>
directly the NSFW status of an image. This may not be possible because<BR>
you use CCHost for the API. <BR>
<BR>
The second option would be for us to program a mechanism to add the NSFW<BR>
tag to each of the clipart images for which the NSFW field has already<BR>
been clicked. Thus the API, in sending back to us the keywords, would<BR>
immediately identify the NSFW state of the image.<BR>
<BR>
We are aware that in asking you to help us solve this problem we are<BR>
piling another task on what is undoubtedly an already heavy workload.<BR>
But solving our problem opens the door to making OCAL accessible to<BR>
grateful users in every language in the world.<BR>
<BR>
The program we have designed to access the database in French will be<BR>
made available with an open source license to people of all languages.<BR>
There would be no problem making it available on the OCAL site.<BR>
<BR>
We thank you for giving our problem your attention, and hope that we<BR>
will be able to collaborate fruitfully in making OCAL available to a<BR>
global audience. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Your truly,<BR>
<BR>
Kevin Albert<BR>
<BR>
André Cotte<BR>
<BR>
Zone libre en education<BR>
<BR>
<A HREF="http://zonelibre.grics.qc.ca">http://zonelibre.grics.qc.ca</A> <BR>
</FONT>
</P>